Saplings from 766-year-old tree to be planted

ANKARA

Following the discovery of a 766-year-old chestnut tree in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır, the General Directorate of Forestry has initiated a tree planting project in which saplings from the seeds collected from the tree will be planted throughout the province.

As a result of the studies carried out, a monumental chestnut tree, with dimensions exceeding the usual size of its kind, was identified around Hor Creek in Diyarbakır's Kulp district.

The 766-year-old chestnut tree is 945 centimeters in circumference, 3.01 meters in diameter and 16 meters in height.

Teams from the Forestry started works to reproduce the monumental tree. Within the scope of the works, about 4 kilograms of seeds were collected from the tree.

The seeds, which were initially planted in small bags at Diyarbakır’s Forestry Directorate premises, during the process started to germinate after two months.

On the other hand, the development of saplings produced for trial purposes is being monitored as well, and all of these saplings will be planted in suitable and sheltered places in Çüngüş, Dicle, Kulp and Hani districts.